Bottle cleaner conformable to shape of bottle



Dec. 16, 1947. Y Nlsl-HZAKA` ETAL 2,432,924

BOTTLE CLEANER CONFORMABLE T0 SHAPE OF BOTTLE Filed June 15 1946 MMI:am@

and Jera'skir'u rafa Patented Dec. 16, 1947 BOTTLE CLEANER CONFORMABLE TSHAPE OF BOTTLE Brooklyn, N. Y., and Jenshro Hartford, Conn.

Application June 15, 1946, Serial No. 677,060

1 Claim.

This invention relates to collapsible and expansible brushes for use incleaning large vessels having small necks through which the brush may beinserted.

The principal object of this invention is the provision of a device oithe character described which is readily collapsible and equally readilyexpansible and adapted to conform to the contours of the vessel or otherarticle in which it is used.

Another object of this invention is the provi- Sion of a device of thecharacter described, which has reversible brushes and whose brushes mayvery readily be replaced when they are worn or otherwise unsuited foruse.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of a device ofthe character described which has few parts, all of which are readilyaccessible for washing and cleaning purposes so that the device may bekept clean and sanitary at all times.

A preferred embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawing in which- Fig. l is a side elevational view thereof showing itin operative position in a bottle having a relatively wide base and arelatively narrow neck;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of said device showing it incontracted position partly in section to reveal the spring constructionof thebrushes;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is through the lower part of the device showing how the springconstruction is connected to the handle of the device.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the deviceherein claimed includes a hollow handle IIJ and a second handle I Islidably mounted within the handle I0. Handle II is provided with an eyeportion I2 at its upper end for ease in holding, and at its lower end itis provided with a pin I3 set transversely therein for a purpose whichwill shortly appear. The hollow handle I0 comprises a tubular memberwhich is split or slotted longitudinally for the member part of itslength beginning at its bottom end. The slot I4 thereby formed isadapted to accommodate the pin I3 on the handle I I. The bottom end ofthe hollow handle II) is provided with external screw threads I5, and aninternally threaded cap I6 is mounted thereon. It will be noted fromFig. 4 that cap I6 is provided with a slot I1 which transforms said capinto a bifurcated member. The slot is adapted to receive a a fragmentaryenlarged sectionm II. When the handle II is moved wire I8 as shown inFig. 4, so that when the cap is tightly screwed to the hollow handle I6,a tight grip upon the wire I8 is eiiected.

Slidably mounted on the outside of hollow handle I0 is a slide 20, Thisslide is provided with a transverse hole adapted to receive the ends ofthe pin I3. When the pin is inserted into said hole, it will beunderstood that said slide 20 will be movable integrally with the innerhandle longitudinally Y with respect to the hollow handle I0, acorresponding movement of the Such longitudinal movement will be limitedat one end by the cap I6 and at the other end by the end of the slot I4.

It will be seen in Fig. 2 that the slide 20 is provided with twooppositely disposed downwardly extending ears 22. And it will be seenfrom Fig. 3 that these downwardly extending ears are each bifurcated.

A spiral or coil spring 25 which is separated into two portions of equalsize, said portions being connected by the wire I8 previously described,is provided at its two ends with eye portions 26. It will be noted inFig. 4 that the wire I8 is integral with the spring 25 and that itreally forms a part thereof. Pins 21 aixed to the biiurcated ears 22 ofslide 20, connect the spring 25 to said slide by means of the eyes 26which are mounted on said pins. A cleaning element 30 is mounted on thespring 25, and more particularly a pair of such elements is mounted onthe two portions of the spring 25 above described. This cleaning elementis of a flexible type and it may be made oi a fuzzy tubular fabric suchas shown in Fig. 4. or it may be made of ordinary bristles used incleaning brushes.

To operate the device above described, the handle II is pulled out ofthe hollow handle I0 to the outwardly extending position shown in Fig.2. The slide 20 ls thereby brought upwardly along hollow handle IIJ andin consequence, the

two cleaning elements are brought into the position shown in Fig. 2. Thedevice is now inserted through the narrow neck 30' of bottle 3l and whenthe washing elements are positioned within the broad base of saidbottle, the handle II is pushed downwardly into hollow handle I0 to theposition shown in Fig. 1. This causes downward movement of the slide 20and the spring 25 is caused to expand until it assumes the form of theinner walls of the bottle 3l. Since the cleaning "elements are mountedon said spring, they too will assume this form which is shown in Fig. 1.It is now possible to use the device in the usual slide 20 will result.v

manner and thereby to clean the inside Walls of the bottle.

It will be understood from the foregoing that only a preferredembodiment of this invention has been described, and that modificationsmay be incorporated therein without departing from the basic principlesofthe invention. For example, instead of the eye I2 at the top of handleIl, a knob or other similar device may be substituted. As has alreadybeen indicated any conventional kind of cleaning element may be used onthe spiral spring 25, It may be mounted on the outside of the spring orit may be interwoven with the spring.

We claim:

A cleaning device o-f the c aracter described comprising a slottedtubular handle, an inner handle slidably mounted therein, and a cleaningelement connected intermediate its ends 'to the bottom of the slottedhollow handle and connectecl at its ends through the slot of saidslotted tours of th YURIKO NISHIZAKA. JENSHIRO TERUYA.

REFERENCES CTED The following references are of record in the filo ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number

